The Truth Too Difficult To Bear
by Aisaka-chan
Summary: In our darkest moments, when life flashes before our eyes, we find something...Something that keeps us going...For me, The Doctor was that something... Set in Series 2 of Doctor Who Doctor/OC, DoctorxOC, 10/OC, 10xOC build up.
1. Chapter 1

**Now, now, I know what you're all thinking: "Really? ****_Another_**** Doctor Who OC?" Yes, another. I've read ****_so many_**** Doctor Who fanfics and, needless to say, I love and respect every single one of them. It takes a lot of courage to post a story of your own on here, and I know how awful some people can be, so I need you guys (yes, you!) to help me along in this journey, wherever it may take me! I know some people may not like how I write, or how the OC; Marzia and the story turn out, and I respect that, because I know everyone has their own opinion.**

**That said, if you have any qualms with what I'm about to write, feel free to leave it in a review, I'm not going to remove it just because I don't like it, that's not what reviews should be about. So, to any people out there who support the story, I ask you to ****_not argue with the people who don't_****. After all, they have their opinion too, and then reviews are fun for everyone. J**

**PS: After every chapter, I'll probably reply to people's questions on the previous chapter, so keep an eye out for those! J**

**PSS: Also at the end of each chapter, I'll post the translations, if there are any, for the languages certain characters might speak.**

**Now, sit back, grab a bar of chocolate, and I'll leave you with a Brofist! *Brofist from Britain* J**

~ TTTDTB ~

The Truth too Difficult to Bear

Chapter One

A House is not a Home

...In our darkest moments, when life flashes before us…

…We find something…

…Something that keeps us going…

…To me, the Doctor was that something…

~TTTDTB~

"You've really got to start thinking about your future, Marzia, I won't have you wasting your life like your father did! I refuse to!"

Marzia simply rolled her un-natural golden eyes dismissively at her mother's scornful comments, as this was a, rather one-sided, conversation that they seemed to have almost every week, though _always_ with the same outcome. Marzia just didn't know what the problem was, she _was_ getting good test scores, after all, usually ranging in the 80 - 90% area (for most subjects), good compared to _most_ people in her classes. The only problem was that she didn't know what she wanted to _be_. A nurse? A writer? An artist? A secretary? Oh dear God, no; even _she_, the girl who loved and treated her precious laptop like her own child, couldn't sit in an office _all_ day, because as fate would have it, she's probably go crazy… or chronically insane, take your pick.

At the root of it, these conversations were _all about her father_.

The golden eyed brunette crossed her arms and pouted, almost childishly, at her mother's stern glare, returning the, almost hateful, look ten-fold.

_"Sto facendo del mio meglio..." _She tried to reason, eyes pleading forgiveness as she slipped into her common tongue.

_"Il tuo meglio non è abbastanza buono, Marzia!" _Her mother retorted, not even a second later.

Marzia winced, hurt at the aggravated tone, tears beginning to leak like a broken pipe from her glossy eyes. She always knew when the conversation was going sour; because more often than not, her mother would almost _always_ reply in English, considering that was what the family had been speaking for over a decade. Marzia pushed away the traitorous tears quickly; if she was going to at least _seem_ strong, then she couldn't let her inner feeling break through like they had so many times before.

"Dad... Dad wouldn't have pushed me so hard..."

Marzia's head was bowed, dark brown hair falling in-front of her face as her eyes looked down shamefully at the wooden floor-boards. She shouldn't have said that, and she knew it. She wasn't ever told of what made her father leave his wife and child, but the memories she had of him were at-least happy ones, and she knew saying something like she did would probably set her mother off worse than before.

When he left the family it had broken her mother, inside and out, who loved her darling husband with all her heart. _Il mio tesero, _she used called him, and Marzia didn't doubt it for a second. The 18 year-old had not a sliver doubt in her mind that her mother still loved him, but the pain of him leaving clouded her true feelings, and it was almost as if they didn't exist in the first place.

She wrung her hands guiltily, awaiting the yells and screams that she knew _should_ have come from her mother's lips. Not hearing anything of the sort, however, she looked up to see her mother's eyes, a colour so different from her own, cloudy and unfeeling. The young girl breathed in deeply, gasping back a sob at her mother's behaviour.

"I'm… I'm going to get some air… I'll be back soon… I promise…"

Like before, the older woman was unresponsive, simply staring at the glass table silently. Marzia blinked away the tears that threatened to fall, and flew out of the door, running as far away from the house as she possibly could, rain pouring over her tiny form the second she got out the door. Her battered trainers hit the ground silently as she sped away, golden eyes blinked shut against the rain that had seeped through her clothes…

…Not even noticing the blue police box that materialised behind her.

~TTTDTB~

"Ah, Scotland, Glasgow! Brilliant!" The Doctor grinned as he and Rose walked out of the TARDIS, blinking at the droplets of rain that fell into their unprotected eyes.

"Wait, Scotland? As in, Earth, Scotland?"

"No. Mars, Scotland." The Doctor rolled his eyes, giving his blonde companion a childish grin as she crossed her arms and looked at him sternly. She would have to get used to this new Doctor's antics, he was almost the complete opposite of his predecessor, who seemed to brood every second.

"You know what I mean. Why are we on Earth? I thought we were going to that place, Sotroh, was it?" Rose asked, slightly confused at the change of destination.

"Change in plans, the TARDIS picked up a signal, high energy waves, thought we might check it out." He replied, picking up a piece of grass and rolling it between his thumb and forefinger casually. He sniffed it, receiving a confused look from his companion, before promptly putting it in his mouth. Rose grimaced at the strange action, as the Timelord beside her nodded happily.

"Yep, we're close, alright! Tastes like oranges, this grass." He pointed out, a slightly thoughtful look on his face.

"That's disgusting!" Rose exclaimed, receiving only another grin in response, and she knew she wouldn't be able to stop what happens next.

"Come on, if we run we'll get there faster! It's not far off, I'm sure!"

"Always with the running, is it?"

"You love it."

Rose rolled her eyes at the last remark, because after all, she did.

~TTTDTB~

Marzia's pale, shaking fingers ran through Mittens' dark, ebony fur, a tired yawn escaping from her chapped lips as she did so. The tears that had fallen like a waterfall from her cheeks had quickly dried out, the 18 year old taking shelter under the slide at a park nearby, with the midnight-black kitten sliding into her warm, comfortable arms for shelter moments later.

No matter how hard she tried, Marzia couldn't resist coming to this little park every time her mother and her had an argument, this time certainly being no exception. Her beloved father had taken her so many times before, so the area – usually only for young children – was Marzia's own little world, free of life's hardships, that she took any opportunity possible to escape to. It was the first place she had actually _liked_ after moving away from Italy, where she knew her mother had met her father, so needless to say, it held a very special place in her hearts.

More-than-likely, most of Marzia's so-called 'friends' would have made fun of this, so she kept it silent, hidden away in a place in her secluded mind that only two other people could ever hope to clamber into. Marzia smiled softly at the thought of them, knowing she would see them in the morning for school – as much as she wanted to dread it.

Stealing a quick look at the clouded sky from underneath the safety of the plastic slide that hung above her, Marzia sighed dejectedly, knowing that she could only spend another few minutes in the empty park.

"What do you think, Mittens? Should I go now?" She asked the purring kitten, who's tiny white paws were currently curling up cutely towards her fluffy stomach as the brunette scratched behind her ears.

She gave a heart-breaking mewl at the question, almost as if she understood it and what it meant; no more cuddles, for today, at least. Marzia giggled at the cat's reaction, giving her an extra big squeeze as she leaned back comfortably. Mittens may not have been her cat, actually belonging to an elderly couple not to many houses away, but judging by the amount of times both had been at the park to share a cuddle, she may as well have been.

Marzia's heart wrenched at the thought of leaving so soon, having only been there 5 minutes or so, so she stayed a while longer, drinking in the memories that resounded from the park happily.

~TTTDTB~

_A 7 year old Marzia ran through the creaking gates, giggling as she went. She sped straight to the swings, jumping on one gleefully, swinging her little legs back and forth quickly, with her - almost haunting - golden eyes sparkling with joy and childishness. _

_"Hurry up, daddy! Push me, push me!"_

_Marzia's father chuckled deeply, finally catching up with his over excited daughter. He walked behind the 7 year old and began to push her back and forth as asked, the swing going higher and higher the longer he pushed. _

_Marzia's dark brown hair, almost knee-length, swung back and forth, tickling her pale face, as she giggled happily. Her – slightly puffed out – cheeks were a rosy red, the cold, winter air biting into them. Her golden eyes may have deterred some of the kids her age at school, due to how un-natural the seemed to be, and they slightly annoyed her mother with how difficult they could be to match clothes with, but Marzia's father adored them, mainly because they were a shade almost identical to his own amber orbs. _

_Or at least, his own _now_. Who knew what they would be like next time…_

_His mind had drifted off, though the content smile stayed plastered on his face. It was only then he noticed how his young daughter had jumped off the still-moving swing, crystal-white dress swaying in the cool breeze. She ran over to him, a sweet smile painted onto her tiny face, wrapping her small arms around his waist. He grinned cheezily at the affection, picking the short girl up until her head reached his chest._

**_Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump. Thump-Thump-Thump-Thump._**

_Marzia closed her eyes to the calming four-beat sound of her father's hearts, one following seconds after the other in synchronization. She herself was the same way, but she didn't mind at all, not in the slightest. If anything, she happily welcomed the resemblance between her and her father, even if it confused her at times._

_"I love you, daddy."_

_"I love you too, sweetheart."_

~TTTDTB~

"Rose, I swear, it's supposed to be right here!" The Doctor said, slight exasperation and annoyance tinting his usually cheery voice.

He tugged at his brown hair, his – almost abnormally large – brain striving to get answers as Rose bit on her lip, hands on her hips in confusion. She wanted to believe him, she really did, but whatever they were looking for, _it really wasn't there_. The park was empty, save for them both, and no signs of life other than a stray cat could be seen. Although… Rose could have _sworn_ she saw a short, brunette girl walk away a few minutes ago… Oh well, even if the source of the energy _was_ her, they'd have felt it, wouldn't they? Or at least, the Doctor would have.

"We're missing something, Rose. Something big, something – OH!"

"Wha-?"

"That's it! _That's the thing!"_

Rose blinked her eyes rapidly at the Doctor's rant - if you could even call it that - wondering what on Earth he was spouting now. He was running towards the poor, probably terrified cat, stopping only inches away from it as it hissed threateningly at the lanky man the second he got close to it. The Timelord cringed, looking to his companion for help, the tiny kitten arching its back at him in fear and anger.

"You've faced Daleks, the Jagrafess, living mannequins and Slitheen, but you still act like you're terrified of _cats_, of all things." She scoffed, crouching down low to face the petrified kitten.

"I'm just not a cat person…" He grumbled back, scuffing his shoes against the concrete as he stared at them, albeit guiltily.

"C'mere, darling, we won't hurt you~" Rose cooed, hand stretching out to pet the small kitten who gradually inched closer to her, amber eyes switching from the tall man to the crouching girl with slight suspicion.

Rose smiled as it finally pushed it's tiny head against her palm, the 19-year-old scratching a soft spot behind it's ears, cooing softly and muttering softly. The Doctor grumbled, bringing out his beloved sonic screwdriver and scanning the purring kitten, who simply ignored the buzzing sound with a flick of its ebony ears.

The Doctor grumbled, an annoyed frown etching itself onto his face, it was obvious he didn't like what he saw, or was at least disappointed by it.

"What's wrong?" Rose asked, hand still petting the happily purring kitten who loved the attention.

"The cat's got the energy on it, but it isn't the _source_."

"What does that mean?"

"It means the cat's owner must be the source of the energy, or at-least someone close to it."

Rose frowned, remembering the brunette girl that walked away from them earlier, but a thought crossed he mind and she voiced it.

"Say I saw someone earlier, and she was the source, wouldn't you have sensed her, with the high energy what-d'ya-macal-it?"

The Doctor's brown eyes spun around to meet hers, a strange emotion in them that the 19 year old couldn't place.

"Rose… do you have something you want to tell me?"

Rose bit her lip nervously, maybe she _should_ have told the Doctor earlier…

~TTTDTB~

"Mum, do you know where I put my tie?"

"No, darling, where did you put it last?"

"I don't know, somewhere in my room!"

"Well, school's in 15 minutes so you'd better find it fast!"

Marzia rolled her sunshine-yellow eyes, searching franticly underneath her bed, or her labyrinth, as her mother would call it, in search of her missing tie. She was determined to find it, knowing that if she went to school without it she would be forced to wear one of the office's ones. She shuddered at the thought, knowing what some people did to them when they thought no-one was listening.

Feeling soft, though slightly rough fabric touch her fingertips, Marzia gave an "Aha!" of triumph, pulling the material over her head and around her neck quickly. She sped down the fluffy carpeted stairs, heading straight for the kitchen where her mother was once again working on one of her 'masterpieces'.

Marzia had, rather unfortunately, inherited her mother's terrible 'talent' for cooking, home economics being the one class the 18 year old _failed_ _terribly at, _along with Design Technology, where she almost always appeared to maim herself at_._

"Found it." Marzia said, albeit smugly, kissing her mother on the cheek as she passed, grabbing an apple for breakfast.

Needless to say, the argument of the night before had been quickly resolved, mother nor daughter able to stay mad at each other for longer than a day, though Marzia still saw a lingering sadness in her mother's auburn eyes. Mentioning her father last night was a mistake, one that she would never make again, in fear of opening the fresh wound further.

The bell on the door rung loudly, making both mother and daughter look at the door in confusion, Marzia jumping down from her position on the counter to answer it.

_'Who would be here at this time in the morning?'_

She twisted the brass doorknob and pulled the crisp white door open to come face-to-face with two people, a man and a woman, that smiled as soon as the saw her, the tall man slightly wider than the woman.

"Can I help you?"

At this, the strange man grinned even wider, if even humanely possible, and a childish spark of glee twinkled in his eyes as he looked at the confused girl standing in front of him.

"Nope!" He chirped, popping the 'p' with an ever-lasting smile plastered onto his face.

"Right… Who are you again?" Marzia asked, eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

"Me? I'm the Doctor. Nice to meet you!" He said, sticking out his hand in a human gesture. Hesitantly, Marzia took it, arm going up and down as he clasped her tiny hand in his larger one, shaking it enthusiasticly.

"Doctor? Doctor who?"

~TTTDTB~

**Do you hate me 'cause I left it there? Muahahahahaha! :) Either way, I'd appreciate it if you left your opinion on the first chapter in a review, it helps a lot and plays a part in what happens next and how. **

**It may be another two chapters before we get to the actual episodes, and if you haven't already guessed it's based right at the beginning of the second series, right after the 9****th**** Doctor regenerates.**

**Translations **

**_Sto facendo del mio meglio – _****I'm doing my best**

**_Il tuo meglio non è abbastanza buono – _****Your best isn't good enough.**

**_Il mio tesero – _****My darling**


	2. Chapter 2

The Truth Too Difficult To Bear

Chapter 2

Highway To Hell

Don't need reason, don't need rhyme

Ain't nothing I'd rather do

Goin' down, party time

My friends are gonna' be there too

I'm on the Highway to Hell

~TTTDTB~

"Mari? Marzia? Earth to Marzia?"

The golden-eyed brunette blinked rapidly at the tanned hand waving franticly in-front of her face, snapping out of the daze she was previously in with a confused murmur.

"Sorry, sorry. I was just… thinking about… stuff... things…" Marzia muttered to her confused friend, trailing off with a far-away look in her eyes as the raven-haired girl beside her attempted to figure her out.

It wasn't a lie, though, she was still thinking of the mysterious – and debatably insane - man and woman that had showed up on her doorstep just that morning. The conversation they had quickly came to a close after the whole naming fiasco, ending with the two strangers having a door slammed in their faces thanks to the nonsense about her spouting from their lips.

Something about a source, Marzia remembered dubiously, though she shook her head dismissively at the thought of it, knowing she should just focus on getting to class at the moment – as she could mull over the confusing conversation later.

Marzia walked through the hustle and bustle of the school's main hallway, almost getting roughly elbowed in the face by an older girl, thanks to her height – or lack of, she supposed. Throwing a quick glare to the older boy that pushed her out of the way seconds later, she scowled, her best-friend; Jenna laughing at the, rather pitiful, attempt to scare him. The tiny brunette could barely threaten anyone, let alone a boy who could probably throw her over his shoulder with little to no effort, and certainly not with the innocent and childish look she appeared to portray – although un-willingly.

Marzia glanced at the giggling raven-haired girl, a ghost of a smile etching onto her lips at the laughter bubbling from her throat. The girl walking calmly beside her towered over the tiny 18 year-old, standing at a proud 5.7, almost 5 inches taller than her friend, who constantly moaned about it, distressed over her lack of height. The tall girl had forest green eyes that contrasted well with Marzia's own golden orbs and, unlike the tiny girl beside her, Jenna's skin was tanned, surprisingly.

Considering that where they were; Scotland was known for its everlasting rain, it was unusual how the tall girl had naturally tanned skin. Jenna herself absolutely detested the miserable weather, consisting of rain, rain and even more rain, but Marzia couldn't have loved it more, revelling in the thought of the water washing away all of her troubles.

The mischievous duo were heading to music, where soft singing and guitar strums could lightly be heard over the sound of the endless chatter that resounded throughout the packed hallway. Marzia fondly smiled at the familiar tune of Moonlight Sonata that rung through her ears; she adored the melody, having played it herself quite a few times.

The crowd grew thinner and thinner, many people having already gotten to their classes, so Marzia took the opportunity to skip, humming a soft tune as she did so. Jenna smiled warmly at the tiny girl, knowing how much she loved music, and how cutely she acted whenever she heard a familiar melody.

She always got cheery when they approached this class, as her mother had encouraged her to love music, just as she did, from a very young age. The 18 year knew how to play quite a few instruments, though exceling in only 3 or 4, the most surprizing of which being the Ocarina.

Whenever she played it, she appeared to be in a complete other world, losing herself in the soft melody that emitted from the haunting instrument. Her favourite tunes to play all came from _The Legend of Zelda,_ as the brunette girl loved the soft, yet sometimes cheery melodies that the games offered, her particular favourite being _Gerudo Valley_, which she usually played with their womanising friend Zach, who strummed the guitar beautifully next to her.

The smiling duo walked into the – half empty (or half full, depends on your angle) – room, sitting opposite from each other, the class finally filling up moments later with students, some eager to begin while others grumbled miserably at the noise. Their music teacher; Mrs Philips sat at her desk, shuffling around some papers on her desk, at-least trying to make the usually messy desk look presentable, before looking up to her students in aparent confusion.

"I thought there was an assembly today, was it cancelled?"

Marzia and Jenna looked at each other in confusion, they didn't recall hearing about an assembly, certainly not from their friends, but then again, they shouldn't be surprized; their school always seemed to do things at the last minute, like many others.

"There wasn't any assembly today, Miss. Who was it that told you there was?" Marzia asked, voicing what she knew the rest of the class was thinking.

"Well another teacher, of course! New science teacher that Mr Brand hired; Smith, I think his name was. First day though, must have got mixed up with the timetable, poor lad." Mrs Philips muttered, a, slightly sad, frown wiping across her face at the news. "Why, here he is now."

Just as Mrs Philips spoke, the tall man who appeared at Marzia's front door earlier sped in, slamming the door shut behind him franticly. He pulled out a long, silver device, with a blue light on the end, and pointed it at the lock on the door, a clicking sound emitting from it, indicating that the door was now locked. Seconds later, a scratching sound resounded from the door, the sound of claws scraping against wood. Screams and gasps emitted from Marzia's fellow students shortly after, panic setting in at the sound.

The small glass window on the door was smashed open seconds later, tiny shards of glass flying about as the lanky man scrambled away from the ebony arm jutting through the hole. The appendage was an inky black with sharp, dangerous claws attached to the spindly fingers that made Marzia shiver. It waved around franticly, apparently attempting to grab hold of the man who had pushed everyone to the back wall, trying to keep the teenagers and teacher as safe as he possibly could.

"Get back! Now! Everyone get back!"

Needless to say, they listened, everyone scrambling as far away from the arm as possible, jumping when it was removed and replaced with a golden, cat-like eye that spun around, trying to find the terrified students, though not being able to see them behind the expensive musical equipment. Surprisingly, it was similar in colour to Marzia's orbs, only being a couple of shades darker.

The class panted, growing quiet as they realized the monster was stalking off, loud footsteps and scratching sounds emitting throughout the now-empty hallway, everyone hiding in their respective classrooms in fear.

Marzia, however, grabbed hold of the lanky man's arm, spinning him around to face her, an almost furious expression on her pale face. His brown eyes flickered with recognition, obviously remembering the tiny girl's unique yellow eyes as his head tilted down to look at her in confusion at the action.

"What the hell was that thing!?" She hissed, a firm grip on his arm, the class looking on anxiously at the scene, most likely wondering how their tiny classmate was so comfortable touching the unusual man.

He sputtered at the question, obviously flustered by her heated glare. His eyes drifted to look around worriedly at the curious students, before finding them meeting with Marzia's sunshine orbs once more.

"What makes you think_ I_ know?" He asked, actually curious as to how the 18 year-old thought he knew what the monster was.

Marzia's eyes rolled instinctively – a habit her mother had tried time and time again to break - as the lanky man stared into her eyes curiously as she scoffed dismissevly. "It _was_ chasing you, wasn't it?"

"That doesn't necessarily mean I know what it is. It could be trying to eat me, for all _you_ know – which isn't much, mind you." He teased, a cheezy grin gracing his face.

Marzia couldn't help but smile at the grinning man, though an eye-roll _did_ sneak through. "Oh come on, it's not like it would try to eat _you_; you're nothing but bones!"

"You can talk, shorty."

Marzia pouted, it seemed like even people she didn't know had to make a comment or a witty retort about her height.

"Either way, it was chasing you, you can't deny _that_."

At this, the man's head lulled to the side, considering her answer before shrugging dismissively. Marzia's eyebrows furrowed in confusion at his casual behaviour, wondering how he was able to stay so calm, considering the circumstances. She herself was petrified, hearts pulsating in her chest, though she tried to hide it. She couldn't deny it, however, she was scared. Terrified, even, and worried about the safety of her classmates and, undoubtedly, herself.

Jenna quickly put a hand on the tiny girl's shoulder, pulling her away from the strange man, worried about how she didn't know a thing about him. She really didn't want her best friend going anywhere near him, at-least until she knew he was safe, and if that meant winging like a newborn babe, she would do it without complaint.

"They're aliens called the Etcon, they're looking for you." The brown haired man replied quickly, running a hand though his hair worriedly.

"What would aliens want with me?" Marzia asked confusedly, wondering what on earth the strange man was rambling about.

The 18 year-old shrugged Jenna's hand off of her shoulder, standing closer to the man, surprisingly not the slightest bit intimidated by him. For some reason, rather than scaring or worrying her, the strange man just confused her further, showing once more how inquisitive she could truly be. The Doctor smiled slightly; he loved explaining things.

"Well, I told you this morning! They're looking for the source, specifically – that." He said, pointing to the clear, crystal blue necklace slung around Marzia's neck. "It's a perception filter, designed to hide something. Whatever it's hiding, it'll power their ship for centuries."

Jenna's eyes widened at his words, disbelief coating her voice. "Wait – you two have met before?"

"Not really, he showed up with his friend this morning – where is she, by the way?" Marzia started, voice becoming confused at the end. She was a bit worried for the girl; if the Doctor (if that really _was _his name) was here, why wasn't she?

"She's in the public library you humans love so much, looking for something for me." He answered, pulling his strange silver device out again, once more pointing it at the destroyed door, the blue light on the silver stick glowing brightly as it emitted a miniscule screech.

Putting in his mouth and holding it by his teeth, he reluctantly pulled a sleek black phone from his jacket pocket, dialling a number quickly and holding it to his ear. It, rather unfortunately, went straight to voicemail, the person he was trying to call being evidently busy.

He ran his hand through his hair once more, turning to Marzia as he tucked the phone and screwdriver into his pocket, a frantic expression on his face.

"Quick, where are the kitchens?"

"They'll be locked, only the dinner ladies have the keys, and they won't give it to you, you're not technically staff." Marzia said with a slightly grave look on her face, having already found out that the whole 'new teacher' was just a ruse to get everyone to safety. "We've got the home economics classrooms, though, they'll have mostly the same stuff."

"Brilliant!" He yelled, a grin on his face. He grabbed Marzia and placed a kiss on her forehead, the 18 year-old's cheeks going a crimson red as he did so. Either ignoring or not noticing the flustered look on the tiny girl's face, probably the later, he sped to the door, though Marzia quickly grabbed hold of his arm once more, seemingly not willing to let him go so easily without a proper explination… or directions, for that matter.

"Do you even know where you're going?" She asked, even though she already knew the answer, judging by the way his ears turned 5 shades of pink.

He spun around, a bashful look on his face as she let go of his arm, crossing hers over her chest with a raised eyebrow. "Uh… No, I… I suppose I don't."

The tiny girl rolled her golden eyes in exasperation, again, at his antics, walking past him towards the now-open door, the Doctor following close behind. "Come on, I'll show you where they are."

Jenna's sapphire-blue eyes widened at her best friend's words; she couldn't believe she was going to leave, possibly abandoning the safety that the small music-room offered, all for a man she had only just met that morning. "What? No! You're gonna' leave?! Just like that?!"

Marzia took Jenna's hands in her own, a mournful look in her eyes. "I _have_ to, Jen. He's got a plan…" She sent a look towards the grinning man near them, "…I think… I hope…"

Jenna bit her lip nervously, a habit she had picked up from Marzia herself. "I don't know about this, Mari… It could be dangerous..."

"So could staying in here. _Fidati di me… si prega di."_

Jenna's face crumpled like paper and she leapt at her best friend, hugging her fiercely. Tears began to leak from her aquamarine eyes as Marzia rubbed her back soothingly, worry for the tiny girl setting in.

"Hey, it's not like we won't see each other again, we will, I promise!" Marzia said, attempting to cheer the sobbing girl up.

Jenna pulled away from her to stand next to her fellow classmates, wiping the traitorous tears from her face as she pushed the tiny Italian girl closer to the Doctor, who stood patiently by the door. "Just don't get yourself killed." She muttered, sending Marzia a fierce look, who smiled cheerily at the message.

"No promises with this one." Marzia replied, a nervous laugh bubbling from her throat.

The Doctor slung an arm around Marzia's shoulders, pulling it away bashfully as she looked at him with an amused expression on her face, clearing his throat as he did so.

"Right, um, let's get going then!"

~TTTDTB~

**And there we have it! The Doctor really can't go anywhere without getting in trouble, can he? Oh well, it's part of his charm, I suppose! X) **

**Only one more chapter to go before we get into the ****_real stuff_**** , and we get to see how Marzia and Rose react to eachother! I don't want to give anything away, but you might not expect it! ;)**

**Translations**

**_Fidati di me… si prega di – _****Trust me... please.**

**Reviews**

** – Thanks so much, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! ;)**

**Frostivy - Weeeeeeell~, You may or may not be onto something there, you'll just have to wait and see! ;)**

**Mizu Okami – You'll see soon enough why no-one has noticed she has, or had, two hearts. You'll have to stick around to find out. ;)**


	3. Chapter 3

The Truth Too Difficult To Bear

Chapter 3

Her Name Is Marzia

…If I had a world of my own

Everything would be nonsense

Nothing would be what it is

Because everything would be what it isn't…

~TTTDTB~

"So if these aliens are after _me_, how come that last one was chasing _you_?" Marzia inquired, confusion tinting her voice as she looked to The Doctor with an inquisitive expression on her face, one eyebrow arched.

"That perception filter you've got on isn't of human origin, so they're looking for something, or someone, alien." He explained easily with a look to her face, head having to tilt down to look at her as the duo snuck through the abandoned hallways, not wanting to run into another Etcon, and certainly not the one that had been chasing him earlier.

At The Doctor's words, however, Marzia froze, turning to look at the Timelord with a shocked expression on her pale face, golden eyes as wide as saucers as her mouth fell open. "You mean you're an alien?"

"Yup" He replied cheerfully as though he saw no problem with it, popping the 'p' as he walked calmly beside the tiny girl.

"But you look human!" She pointed out, quick as a whip, her grandmother would say, tilting her head to the side in confusion as The Doctor scoffed.

"Technically, you look Timelord; we came first."

If anything, this only confused the poor girl further, who was ever curious about the strange man she seemed to know nothing of.

"So is that what you are, then? A Timelord?"

"Well, I'm really Gallifreyan; Time Lord is really just a cool title we came up for ourselves." He answered, winking cheekily at Marzia as they neared the library where his friend awaited them.

"So is your friend a Time Lady, then? You know, the blonde girl from this morning who was with you?" Marzia asked curiously, golden eyes inquisitive.

At this, however, The Doctor cleared his throat nervously, subconsciously remembering his fellow Time Lords and Ladies who were forever trapped in war with the Daleks, not knowing how to explain to the tiny girl that he was the last, and how she would never meet another like him. His brown eyes lowered to stare at his feet as Marzia looked at him in confusion at his strange actions.

"You know, you're taking this quite well. Why is that?" He asked her, changing the subject from his people on Gallifrey, though still genuinely curious about the Italian girl.

If she_ wasn't_ really human, and the perception filter _was_ hiding her true race, then he wanted to know what she was, out of honest concern. After all, she certainly _acted_ human, as she showed compassion and worry for her fellow classmates, a definite human trait – though not always, he thought - and they seemed close to her, but then again, that could just be the perception filter's doing, changing how he saw her because he just wasn't looking hard enough.

"Did you _miss_ the giant spaceship that floated over Earth on Christmas?" The tiny Italian girl asked with a smirk on her face at the man, in a slightly mocking tone, with an eyebrow raised, an expression she seemed to wear often.

The Doctor bashfully ran a hand through his hair, something that Marzia had quickly noticed he did whenever he was nervous, and laughed. "Oh… No, no, I remember… I was there." He muttered the last part as an after-thought, remembering the occurrence that had happened not even a month earlier.

Marzia simply raised her eyebrow at his words, shaking her head in amusement at the strange man seconds later. Her voice grew sombre, however, when she remembered what had happened to the fleeing aliens. She saw it well enough from her place on the roof of a nearby flat, how a sinister beam of light blew the alien ship to smithereens, knowing well enough that it is was probably the government who ordered it in the first place.

They may have tried to kill her, and a third of the planet, but no-one, not even aliens as dangerous and threatening as they were, deserved to die like that, murdered as they were fleeing, with no way to defend themselves and no warning.

~TTTDTB~

_Marzia held her mother close, tears swimming in her eyes as she looked down from the top of a flat. She didn't even know how she got there, but if she was any guess, the gigantic spaceship, strangely resembling a large slab of rock or rubble, was the cause of it. _

_"Mum, I can't breathe!" She choked out as her frantic mother held her close to her chest, many other people on the roof doing the same to their loved ones as they all backed away from the edge. _

_The woman ignored her daughter, however, simply holding the tiny girl close, almost as if to make sure she was really there, muttering something into her daughter's brown hair._

_"Too close… can't change like this… too soon…" Was all Marzia could distinguish from her mother's ramblings, though the Italian girl made sure to hug the frantic woman tight as beads of salty prayer rolled from her eyes._

_She snuck a glance up to the sky, however, when the ship began turning in the opposite direction, confusion flitting across her amber eyes as It soared through the pale-blue sky, breaking past clouds as it soared away, almost as if in a hurry, though for what reason, Marzia couldn't be sure. She grasped her mother's arm, trying to direct the older woman's attention to the fleeing ship rather than on herself._

_"Mum. Mum, look." Marzia pestered, head now fully tilted towards the sky, eyes following the UFO as it sped as far away as possible, probably leaving to where it came from. "Mum, they're leaving." She finished, though only a few people took notice of the confused girl, everyone else to concerned with caring for their loved ones._

_Everyone's attention, however, was diverted away when a sinister beam of light flew towards the fleeing ship, blowing it to smithereens seconds later. Some had looks of relief, some had a sick joy, but Marzia had a look of heartbreak and resent painted across her porcelain face, golden eyes narrowing as tears begun to sprout anew from them._

_"They were leaving…"_

~TTTDTB~

"No-one deserves to be murdered like that." She muttered sadly with a hint of venom in her usually soft voice, looking down at her feet as her hands wrung her plaid skirt nervously at the Doctor's curious gaze. She had never liked being watched, it always made her uncomfortable, and she didn't know why until now. Like the Doctor said, it must have been someone seeing something that just wasn't – or shouldn't – be there.

The next few minutes were filled with silence, though not an uncomfortable one, far from it, in fact. Marzia walked calmly beside the Doctor, not a hint of nervousness as their footsteps echoed throughout the empty hallway, though Marzia's being slightly quieter than her companion's.

For a minute, the tiny Italian girl thought they would see bodies littering the floor like abandoned test-scores, though she was relieved when they didn't. Thankfully, everyone seemed to be safe for now, locked inside the many classrooms, the office downstairs probably phoning the police, if they even could.

The duo approached the doors to the library, the large sign above them indicating they were in the right place. They began knocking lowly to signal the people inside, showing they meant no harm and were only trying to help. Voices emitted from behind the wooden doors, one frantic and fearful, the other calm and collected.

"What are you doing!? Don't open the doors, it might be those things!" The first, obviously feminine, voice hissed worriedly, most likely terrified of the bloodthirsty Etcon that prowled the hallways in search of the tiny Italian girl, not that she even knew that. She, like most people, probably remembered how a third of the population almost lost their lives to extra-terestials, most likely having known someone who was on a roof themselves, ready to jump.

"Do you really think an alien like that would knock?" The second voice, also female, retorted, a point being made as the Doctor seemingly perked up after hearing it.

Marzia remembered why they were going to the Library in the first place, and quickly pieced everything together, the second voice was obviously The Doctor's friend, explaining why he seemed so happy after hearing it; at-least now he knew his friend wasn't dead like he may have assumed her to be.

"I don't trust this, Miss Rose, what if they can?" A third, younger voice chirped in, worry embalming itself in the young child's brain.

Apparently, the, rather loud and frantic, voices from inside the library attracted the attention of a nearby Etcon, who had just turned around the corner in search of fresh meat. Marzia had guessed that was what they did with some people, the aliens most-likely bringing anyone they could back to their ship, if they even had one, for a meal.

After seeing one of the ebony monsters so close, Marzia subconsciously grabbed the Doctor's large hand in her own tiny one, squeezing it tightly for support as a terrified gasp escaped her lips. The Doctor, surprisingly, gripped her hand just as tightly as she did his, brown eyes narrowing at the petrifying creature that growled menacingly before them.

At the sound, the people inside the library, already being petrified, panicked, screams emitting from the room, though the Etcon simply ignored them, eerie golden eyes trained on the crystal necklace slung around Marzia's neck. It's gaze was un-wavering, even when the tiny girl shifted to stand slightly behind her friend, fear quivering in her sunshine eyes.

The ebony aliens were even scarier up-close, if that was even possible, as they stood almost 7 feet tall, towering over Marzia and even The Doctor, who was rather tall himself. Seconds of silence passed in the hallway, muffled screams of panic echoing from the library behind them, only worrying Marzia further.

The Doctor gulped, a panicked expression taking over his face as the Etcon inched closer, the duo taking one step back for each the scaled monster took forward. When their backs reached and hit the wall, however, The Doctor stood in front of Marzia fully, brandishing his sonic screwdriver like a weapon with Marzia looking at his curiously as he did so.

"I wouldn't get any closer if I were you; this here sonic screwdriver could blast your scaly exoskeleton to pieces with the flick of a button." The Doctor bluffed, hiding a smile as the Etcon froze in place, yellow eyes glaring at the lanky man. Despite its orders, it evidently didn't want to die any-time soon, especially not without its target.

"Will that really do anything?" Marzia asked The Doctor worriedly with furrowed brows, fear swimming in her golden eyes as the man in question spun around to grin at her.

"No, that was a clever lie to save our lives." He answered quietly, though apparently not quietly enough, because seconds later the Etcon, thanks to its obviously impeccable hearing, only steps away from them, reached a long spindly hand out to smack the Doctor out of the way. He smacked painfully into the wall, hearing Marzia call after him worriedly as the Etcon approached her.

"Doctor!" He heard Marzia shout out to him, voice panicked.

He didn't have enough time to revel in the reminder that she finally called him by his _name_ and not _'Idiota'_, as the second he looked up, the Etcon had the tiny Italian girl slung over its tough shoulder and was walking away, the 18 year-old shouting obscenities at the alien as it stalked away.

_"Lasciar andare me stronzo! Non mi osi ignorare! Lasciate andare! Lasciate andare!"_

The Doctor got one last look at the tearful, terrified girl before his entire world faded to an ebony black.

~TTTDTB~

_"Giuro su Dio, se non ti lasci andare proprio ora, ho intenzione di strappare tutti e ciascuno di quei scale fuori, uno per uno!" _Marzia hissed venomously in her native tongue, as she did whenever she was upset, a trait she appeared to inherit from her also hot-headed mother as she glared daggers at the aliens that surrounded her.

She was strapped to a medical bed, in what she assumed was the Etcon's ship. She didn't rightly know, the ebony monster that had taken her in the first place had most likely grown tired of the obscenities she threw at him, as he had knocked her out only minutes after he took her, which she almost regretted now. Almost.

Her wrists stung painfully at the un-familiar metal holding them in place and her head swam, the tiny girl almost positive she was seeing stars. It throbbed painfully after she woke up, knowing it was because of what the Etcon did to shut her up.

"_Merda…_" She muttered, closing her golden eyes in an attempt to stop the spinning, knowing there wasn't _really_ 28 aliens in the room and she was just seeing things.

They didn't seem to understand what the raging Italian girl was saying exactly, but they did appear to know that it was an insult, as they seemed to growl and grunt fiercly whenever she spoke. Marzia almost expected them to roll their amber eyes at her, and she almost wanted them to, just to see what other people observed whenever she did it herself.

"_Muinomead, siilemutnot sillisup muut euqson eressecal sov_." One of the Ecton, possibly the leader, if the crest on his head was anything to go by, said ominously.

For a minute, Marzia stood, shocked that the aliens could even talk, let alone communicate effectively, considering how confusing their language sounded.

"Hold on just one second!" Marzia ordered, golden eyes narrowing. "You can speak?!" Marzia asked, now slightly more worried than before. If they really _could_ communicate, then they could easily be talking about how they were going to kill her! She may have been overreacting but, being in the, rather compromising, position she was in, maybe she had a right to.

"_Alleup snedupmi, mutsefinam_."

"You do realize I can't understand you, right? I'm not like you, I don't speak alien. _Idiota_…" Marzia muttered after once more hearing confusing words she didn't understand.

"_Atluts, euqitu non_." The leding Etcon retorted, in its deep gravelly voice, turning to another of his kind seconds later. "_Ortepmi sutarappa."_

_"Errefsnart epicni."_

~TTTDTB~

…But contrary-wise,

What it is, it wouldn't be,

And what it wouldn't be, it would,

You see…?

~TTTDTB~

**So, what do you think? It's a bit shorter than I expected, maybe because I decided to split this chapter into two, seeing as how It was a bit long put together. Either way, the next Chapter will be up soon enough, and then we can ****_finally_**** get to the real episodes!**

**Speaking of which, please tell me I'm not the only one who is wallowing in self-pity because I have to wait 6 months before we get the next few episodes of Doctor Who ****_and_**** The Walking Dead. Mum walked into my room to see me sobbing into my pillow after watching the previous 6 seasons on blu-ray and playing the amazing Telltale game. Great, now I have to explain ****_that_**** to her, as well as Tumblr… (sigh, mums know nothing of modern-day technology, do they?)**

**PS: The language the Etcon speak is what I have dubbed Anital – which is simply backwards Latin. I know, I know… original, right? Don't worry, though, it'll definitely be explained more in future chapters, so no need to worry about it too much, because the translations will always be at the end of every Chapter, mkay?**

**Well, onto the reviews!**

**Reviews**

**loulouflowerpower – I know this may not be as soon as you were expecting, so I hope this Chapter is up to par! : )**

** – Thanks so much, I hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as the last! xox**

**ShadowTier – Thanks for the support, it means so much to know you like it! 3**

**Translations**

**_Idiota_**** – Idiot – (Italian)**

**_Lasciar andare me stronzo! Non mi osi ignorare! Lasciate andare! Lasciate andare! -_**** Let go of me you asshole! Don't you dare ignore me! Let go! Let go! – (Italian)**

**_Giuro su Dio, se non ti lasci andare proprio ora, ho intenzione di strappare tutti e ciascuno di quei scale fuori, uno per uno!– _****I swear to God, if you don't let me go right now, I'm going to rip each and every one of those scales off, one by one! – (Italian)**

**_Merda _****– Shit – (Italian)**

**_Muinomead, siilemutnot sillisup muut euqson eressecal sov – _****Your petty insults are annoying, demon. – (Anital)**

**_Alleup snedupmi, mutsefinam –_**** Obviously, impudent girl – (Anital)**

**_Atluts, euqitu non_**** - Of course not, stupid girl – (Anital)**

**_Ortepmi sutarappa – _****Get the equipment – (Anital)**

**_Errefsnart epicni. – _****Begin the Transfer – (Anital)**


End file.
